The modernization of the power industry has led to the development of smart grids. Smart grids are electrical grids which predict and intelligently respond to the behavior and actions of connected suppliers, consumers, transmission networks and distribution networks. Smart grids provide capacity for various types of power generation including power generation by renewable resources such as wind and solar systems. Real-time monitoring and control of smart grid generation units is desired to ensure energy consumption/production efficiency, proper management of power flows, voltage/angle stability, response to market signals, and overall system reliability.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,002,260 to Stahlkopf discloses a power control interface between an unstable power source such as a wind farm and a power transmission line. The power control interface employs an electrical energy storage, a control system, and an electronic compensation module which act together like an “electronic shock absorber” for storing excess power during periods of increased power generation and for releasing stored energy during periods of decreased power generation due to wind fluctuations. The control system is provided with a “look ahead” capability for predicting power output (wind speed conditions) and maintaining energy storage or release over a “narrow-band” range despite short duration fluctuations. The control system uses data derived from monitoring the wind farm power output and the power transmission line, and employs system-modeling algorithms to predict narrow-band wind speed conditions. The power control interface can also use its energy storage capacity to provide voltage support at the point of injection into the power transmission system, as well as fault clearance capability for “riding out” transient fault conditions occurring on the power transmission line.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0115295 to Moon et al. discloses an energy management system including a first interface configured to receive a first power from a power generation system, a second interface configured to couple to the power generation system, a power grid, and a storage device, and to receive at least one of the first power from the power generation system, a second power from the power grid, or a third power from the storage device, and to supply a fourth power to at least one of the power grid or a load, and a third interface configured to receive the third power from the storage device, and to supply a fifth power to the storage device for storage.
Although power control interfaces and energy management systems have been considered, improvements are desired.
It is therefore an object at least to provide a novel control, protection and power management system for an energy storage system.